DeLay Gets Three-Year Jail Sentence

Posted on Jan 10, 2011

Despite drumming up support in the form of testimony from former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, onetime U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his legal team have failed to ward off a jail sentence for money laundering charges. On Monday, DeLay was slapped with a three-year prison sentence in an Austin, Texas, courtroom—but it could have been a lot worse. —KA

AP via The Houston Chronicle:

The sentence comes after a jury in November convicted DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. DeLay was once one of the most powerful men in U.S. politics, ascending to the No. 2 job in the House of Representatives.

Senior Judge Pat Priest sentenced him to the three-year term on the conspiracy charge. He also sentenced him to five years in prison on the money laundering charge but allowed DeLay to accept 10 years of probation instead of more prison time.

The former Houston-area congressman had faced up to life in prison. His attorneys asked for probation.